Abbas and PA leadership endorse riots and their continuation: "We have supported you in what you have done and what you are doing. We are with you in everything that you have done and are still doing."

Father of terrorist who stabbed and murdered 3: "My son is an honorable man, not a man who carries out operations... This happened because of the occupation and what it has inflicted on the Al-Aqsa Mosque."

Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Despite the fact that two days ago Israel decided to remove the metal detectors from the entrances to the Temple Mount, this was not enough for Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas, who is encouraging Palestinians to continue rioting in Jerusalem. His Fatah Movement is doing likewise, posting the image above of a clenched fist surrounded by flames and the text:

At a meeting with the PA leadership yesterday evening, after Israel had removed the metal detectors, Abbas stated that "there will be no changes whatsoever" in Palestinian conduct unless Israel "returns the situation in Jerusalem" to what "it was before July 14, [2017]." He praised the rioting Palestinians in Jerusalem for "defend[ing]" the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestinian "dignity":

"All of the new Israeli steps on the ground from that date until today need to stop, and then the situation in Jerusalem will return to normal. Afterwards we will continue our work on everything regarding the relations between us and them...

Since Israel tried to change the situation, the [Palestinian] residents of Jerusalem have risen as one (they launched violent riots -Ed.) You have objected to all of the [Israeli] steps, and we have supported you in what you have done and what you are doing. We are with you in everything that you have done and are still doing, as you are causing us pride, and you are taking care of your Al-Aqsa Mosque, your land, your dignity, your people, your religion, and your holy sites. This is the response to everyone who wants to harm our holy sites. Jerusalem is ours. It is our capital and it is [under] our sovereignty, and therefore what you [Palestinians] are doing is right."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 26, 2017]

As Palestinian Media Watch has reported, PA and Fatah leaders have ignored the fact that it was an attack on July 14 in which terrorists shot from the Temple Mount plaza, murdering two Israeli border policemen, which brought about the installation of the new security measures. Instead, they have accused Israel of "escalating" and "harming the holy site."

Abbas and other PA and Fatah leaders present the riots as a justified "defense", reinforcing the old PA libel that Israel is plotting to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to build the "alleged Temple." Abbas' Fatah Movement also emphasized the message of danger and the supposed need for Palestinians to come to the rescue of the mosque in distress by posting the image above of a clenched fist surrounded by flames, and the statement: "At your service, O Jerusalem, At your service, O Al-Aqsa Mosque."

Since July 14, 2017, violent riots in Jerusalem are not the only thing to have happened. On July 21, 2017, a Palestinian terrorist stabbed and murdered 3 Israelis while they were having dinner in their home in the Jewish town of Halamish near Ramallah. Palestinian Media Watch has shown that the lack of condemnation by PA leaders of this murderous attack constitutes a silent approval of it.

Although Abbas specifically addressed the "residents of Jerusalem" and praised them for the last two weeks of "response" to Israel, the killing of the three Israelis has also been interpreted as a response to Israel's actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Among others, the terrorist's father stated that his son is an "honorable" and "moderate" man who normally would not plan any terror attacks, but he killed "because of the occupation and what it has inflicted on the Al-Aqsa Mosque":

Father of terrorist murderer Omar Al-Abd: "The occupation is the reason for this operation (i.e., terror attack, 3 murdered), because my son is an honorable and educated man, not a man who carries out operations. He is a very calm man, and the members of the village testify to his personality. He is a very moderate man and does not talk about things like this. Rather this happened because of the occupation and what it has inflicted on the Al-Aqsa Mosque."

[Official PA TV News, July 22, 2017]

The following are longer excerpts of the statements mentioned above:

Image (above) and text posted on the Facebook page of the Fatah Movement's Bethlehem Branch:

Posted text: "At your service, O Al-Aqsa Mosque"

The image shows a clenched fist surrounded by flames. It has the Fatah logo on it that includes a grenade, crossed rifles, and the PA map of "Palestine" that presents all of Israel as "Palestine" together with the PA areas.

Headline: "The [PA] president in a meeting of the [PA] leadership: As long as the situation in Jerusalem does not return to being as it was before July 14, [2017], there will be no changes whatsoever; to the residents of Jerusalem: We are with you in all that you have done and are still doing, as you are causing us pride and you are taking care of your Al-Aqsa Mosque, your land, your dignity, your people, your religion, and your holy sites"

"At the beginning of a meeting of the [PA] leadership yesterday evening [July 25, 2017], [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas said that as long as the situation in Jerusalem does not return to being as it was before July 14, [2017], there will be no changes whatsoever (refers to Israeli security measures at the Temple Mount following a terror attack there that were later removed; see note below -Ed.).

The president added: 'All of the new Israeli steps on the ground from that date until today need to stop, and then the situation in Jerusalem will return to normal. Afterwards we will continue our work on everything regarding the relations between us and them.'

The president said: 'Since Israel tried to change the situation, the [Palestinian] residents of Jerusalem have risen as one (they launched violent riots -Ed.) You have objected to all of the [Israeli] steps, and we have supported you in what you have done and what you are doing. We are with you in everything that you have done and are still doing, as you are causing us pride, and you are taking care of your Al-Aqsa Mosque, your land, your dignity, your people, your religion, and your holy sites. This is the response to everyone who wants to harm our holy sites. Jerusalem is ours. It is our capital and it is [under] our sovereignty, and therefore what you [Palestinians] are doing is right.'

President Abbas noted that the meeting was supposed to take place today (Wednesday) [July 26, 2017], and said: 'We made it earlier because there were developments (refers to Israel deciding to remove security measures from the Temple Mount on July 24, 2017 -Ed.). We must examine them in order to say our piece and say where we are headed.'

He added: 'What we have decided is to freeze the security coordination [with Israel] - and this is happening, and to defend the holy sites - and this is happening [too]. We want to examine what has happened from that day until today in order to see what we will do.'"

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 26, 2017]

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' mention of the situation in Jerusalem since July 14, 2017, refers to Israeli security measures at the Temple Mount following an attack there on that day in which 2 Israelis were murdered - see note below. On July 24, 2017, Israel started to remove the metal detectors and security cameras from the site, but the PA continues to demand all measures including inspection at the entrances be removed.

Muhammad Ahmad Muhammad Jabarin, Muhammad Hamed Abd Al-Latif Jabarin, and Muhammad Ahmad Mufaddal Jabarin - Israeli Arab terrorists aged 29, 19, and 19, who shot from the Temple Mount at Israeli policemen, murdering 2 Israeli Druze border policemen - Haiel Stawi and Kamil Shnaan, on July 14, 2017. Two of the terrorists were shot and killed by other policemen during the attack. The third terrorist was shot and killed while trying to flee.